Tottenham have been the subject of ridicule these past few years because of their dusty trophy cabinet. But contrary to popular belief, they have actually won a good amount of silverware in their history.
The one thing’s missing, though, is the Premier League trophy which has eluded them these last few decades since Tottenham’s last win in the English top-flight dates back to 1961 when it was not even yet named as the Premier League.
This past season, Tottenham have secured their Champions League return for the first time in three years under the guidance of Antonio Conte. And with their successful transfer window thus far this summer, fans at North London have a lot to get excited about.
But can they challenge for the Premier League especially with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City around? It’s a long shot probably, but here are some of factors why they should at least be considered in the title race.
Antonio Conte is a relentless coach
There’s a reason why Antonio Conte was the Spurs’ first choice as their head coach when they fired Jose Mourinho, and that is because he’s undoubtedly an excellent manager.
Nuno Espirito Santo took over when they were unable to get Conte and Spurs were off to a great start with victories over Manchester City, Wolves, and Watford. But eventually, a streak of poor Premier League 2022 results followed and they were left in a bad spot.
Supporters at North London were disillusioned with Nuno’s style of football, and after a 3-0 defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy eventually decided to sack Nuno Espirito Santo after just 17 games in charge.
The good thing for Tottenham was that Conte’s available at the time and they immediately appointed him as their new manager. Fast forward to his first season as their boss, Tottenham overtook the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal to finish fourth behind Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
Conte is known as a no-nonsense mentor that demands a lot from his players. The images of Spurs players looking spent in their training sessions during pre-season perfectly sums up his hard-hitting approach.
And let’s not forget that he is no stranger to being a disruptor, as shown in the 2021 season when his Inter Milan ended Juventus’ dominant reign in Serie A. But in order to replicate such in North London, he needs the constant backing from the top management to help him get the right pieces.
Spurs have a dangerous frontline
Speaking of having the right pieces, having Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Moura, and Richarlison is a great place to start since all of them can bang in the goals.
Heung-Min Son was the joint-top scorer alongside Mohamed Salah with 23 goals during the 2021/22 season, while Harry Kane, Lucas Moura, and Dejan Kulusevski have combined for 35 goals and 24 assists in all competitions last term.
Meanwhile, Richarlison was Everton’s top dog last season with 11 goals and five assists, and was one of the main reasons why the Toffees maintained their English top-flight status after a whirlwind 2021/22 campaign.
Tottenham kicked off their pre-season with aplomb by beating the K-League All-Stars with a tally of 6-3, where Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son both had a brace. Against Sevilla last Saturday, Harry Kane also found the back of the net.
They need a few more pieces to keep up
Manchester City and Liverpool are favoured by the SBOTOP Premier League 2022 odds since both sides have deep rosters. And Tottenham, despite the fact they’ve had a great transfer window, they still need one more centre-back and another in the midfield.
Tottenham have added Clement Lenglet on loan, but his form is in question since he was not a consistent starter under Barcelona last season, although he’ll have his chance to prove himself at North London.
Ivan Perisic is another fine addition since he is already familiar with Antonio Conte’s system, but he’s more effective as a winger who could provide competition for Lucas Moura or Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham have also signed Yves Bissouma from Brighton, but there’s room for improvement for the Malian midfielder since he only had two goals and two assists last season.
To be successful in football, you need the three C’s – concept, competence, and capital. And with Conte all-in, the Spurs now have all of them to contend for trophies soon. Sad to say that if a coach with Antonio Conte’s calibre can’t lead Tottenham to Premier League glory eventually, then no one can.
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